Beauty and the Fool
by DoubleRX
Summary: A boy cheated his way to Beacon by using fake transcripts, and he uses his quick wits to become team leader. When a strong and formidable enemy sneaks into the Academy, he could not prevent himself from being abducted, along with a certain cat-Faunas, taking them through the Grimm infested forests and deep into enemy territory. (Full summary in Chapter 1).
1. Prologue

**Beauty and the Fool: Prologue**

My village was small and secluded outside the boarder of Vale, and was also known to be a safe haven for huntsmen and huntresses to prepare to fight the Grimm. But now the village was a burning wasteland. The hissing and crackling of the inferno devouring numerous houses couldn't block out the screaming of those who were barely alive. Many of the men and women in the village were presumed dead: my friends, the children, and the babies-now orphans.

One thought came to me as I looked beyond the front gate of the burning village. _Oh no_. I was struck with dread internally as I felt a bad omen beyond the hills. So I ran from the village as fast as my underdeveloped legs would carry me.

I couldn't see anything, not really. As I ran deeper into the Forever Fall Forest, the smell of burnt flesh and thick smoke became too much. I dropped to my knees and vomited onto the thick undergrowth until I had nothing left to retch. I wiped my mouth with my sleeve and continued running with my stomach still heaving.

On top of the hill was a clearing, which signaled that I had reached my destination. I reached the top, and what was before me was unbearable to watch. My home was engulfed by the roaring blaze. I walked up slowly, and lying in front of what was left of my home were nine motionless bodies. There had been a struggle. The bodies were scattered, like they were running away from someone or something. I recognized them immediately. They'd been broken and their throats had been slit. _Mom_ , _Dad_ , _and my sisters_. _Dead_.

I stood in the dry gravel in front of my home, pressed my hands to my ears, and screamed in agony. My jaw clenched, but I couldn't stop the tears from welling up and slipping down my cheeks. As the wind turned, the smoke made my nostrils burn, but my vision began to adjust to see a miniature silhouette. My eyes fixated a few feet beyond the nine still bodies; a beautiful young girl with short black hair, amber eyes, and cat ears was cowering on the ground. She was crouching motionless, holding a knife stained with blood.

 _What did she do?_ The panic in my internal voice matched the desperate pounding in my chest. I stared into her petrified and confused amber-colored eyes. She started to weep. I began to fret over a girl I had never met before.

Before I could speak, my vision blurred and a white light enveloped me. I perceived the flames, my family, and my home's destruction were linked to this terrified young girl. I felt the pain endured and reached out to the young girl in front of me.

"Ack!" my voice cracked. I wanted to reach her. For some odd reason, I couldn't speak. There was a sense of relief in my chest. One emotion drove me on when I reached out: desperation. The white light devoured my hands and legs; the light slowly crept up to my chest. I was immobilized. About to be consumed, the young girl arose, and wiped her tears with a piece of white cloth around her left arm. She gazed into my eyes, pleading for forgiveness. Her mouth started to move, yet I couldn't make out what she was saying. The light swallowed me whole. _Is this a dream_?

My thoughts suddenly stopped when reality pulled me out of my slumber. My eyes shot open; I was gasping for air, sweat beads ran down my face and my hands started shaking. I looked around the room. My friends Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren were fast asleep. I closed my eyes in order to remember the horrible events that happened. I couldn't think straight.

 _That night_. I muttered to myself. I slowly got out of bed and quietly made my way to the roof. When I got outside, the cool gentle breeze brushed against my face freshly. I looked up at the dark, clear skies and the shattered moon.


	2. Chapter 1

**A boy cheated his way to Beacon by using fake transcripts, and he uses his quick wits to become team leader. When a strong and formidable enemy sneaks into the Academy, he could not prevent himself from being abducted, along with a certain cat-Faunas, taking them through the Grimm infested forests and deep into enemy territory.**

 **The longer he stayed captive, the more he realized that he is not the only one keeping dark and dangerous secrets. But with foes lurking around every corner, is he strong enough to save himself** _ **and**_ **the kingdom of Vale from an all-out war?**

 **Beauty and the Fool: Chapter 1**

 **Setting- 2 weeks after the events of Volume 2**

It was a warm and dry morning in Beacon Academy. Streaks of red, pink, and orange slowly overcame the dark blue and purple of dawn. The sun's rays already shined brightly. My muscles were dead with fatigue.

Pyrrha leaped to her feet and swung Milo down while I swung upward to block her attack, sending a jolt to my arm. She came down and twisted her body in the opposite direction, swinging her sword in a wide arc toward me. Instinctively, I raised my shield to block her attack, sending sparks across it. I jabbed at her, but she jumped back a few feet away from me. Our eyes met and locked. We stood in silence; I could feel myself staggering as sweat beads ran down my face, seeping into my hooded jacket.

 _Can't lose focus_.

I charged and raised my sword at her, swinging upward, downward, and sideways, but she deflected them with her shield with ease. I sliced at her again, but missed a beat when I noticed Professor Ozpin outside the practice ring, watching us. Pyrrha took full advantage of my momentary distraction. She knelt down and swiped her leg from under me, causing me to stumble. I grunted and aggravated with myself.

I dropped my sword and shield onto the dirt, rubbing the back of my head with a frown.

"That was uncalled for and you know it." I grumbled.

"Well, maybe next time you'll pay more attention to your opponent." She chuckled, and offered her hand, pulling me up.

Professor Ozpin clapped slowly twice, making me jump. Pyrrha and I spun around slowly, and upon seeing the headmaster, we stood at to attention as he walked towards us.

"An impressive display, Ms. Nikos." He observed. "I'm looking forward to seeing your performance at the Vytal Festival."

"Thank you." She said, tipping her head to him. "Is there a reason why you're out here so early?"

"No reason. I was on way to my office when I heard two of my students in a match." He took a sip from his mug. "And so, here I am."

"I see," Pyrrha said. There was a few seconds of silence.

"Well then, I'll be on my way," he said.

Professor Ozpin looked at me for a moment longer, his gaze inscrutable, and then turned on his heel and strode away.

"Today is not my lucky day." I said, sheathing my sword.

"Well, you certainly have improved. Why don't you take a look?" Pyrrha nodded at me with an approving smile as she walked over to me. I grabbed my shield, where my scroll was attached, and saw that my aura was not as depleted as before.

"Yeah, that's something I guess."

"We still haven't discovered your semblance though."

"It could wait; I'm not in a rush to find out." Our eyes met and locked. Seconds of silence.

"Can you pass me my water bottle?" I asked.

"Sure."

I watched Pyrrha swiped her forehead with her right forearm. My jacket stuck to my body, my plated chest piece made it harder to move. I glanced up at the colored sky, stretching across the academy that surrounded us.

I watched Pyrrha walking a few meters away from me. The sun made her red hair practically glow—or possibly, it was the reflection off her skin or bronze armor. I never saw someone so radiant in my life.

When she agreed to help me to become a better fighter, sometimes it would send me chills when she lifted her weapon and shield during a sparring match, but not anymore. I couldn't think of anyone that would go toe-to-toe with the Mistral champion.

"Heads up!"

Before I had a chance to react, Pyrrha tossed a water bottle into my face. I fumbled, but I caught it before it hit the ground. I opened the bottle. The cool water actually felt good as it ran down my throat, sliding down my chin, and dripping off onto my jacket.

"You coming Jaune?" Pyrrha tilted her head; she pursed her lips, attempting to suppress a small smile.

"Yeah yeah, I'm coming," I said, forcing myself to look away from her warm emerald eyes. With a suppressed smile, we walked side-by-side, purposely making our stride as slow as possible.


	3. Chapter 2

**Beauty and the Fool Chapter 2**

The dining hall was lit by hundreds of candles. The scent of hot wax and the smell of freshly cooked food made my head spin. I sat next to Pyrrha, who was eating her dinner calmly. Ren, who sat on other side of Pyrrha, tried to refrain Nora from waking up Yang, who sat on the opposite side of the table asleep. Weiss tried to stay awake as Ruby explained their strategy for the upcoming Vytal Festival. Blake, on the other hand, sat at a distance, reading her book with her customary bored expression.

I looked away from our table and scanned the rest of the hall. The hall was filled with lavishly dressed boys and girls. Across the hall, Cardin and the rest of team CRDL sat between a faunas girl with bear ears.

"Get a load at this freak," Cardin sneered. His teammates laughed mockingly.

"Just… leave me alone." The young Faunus girl said with a petrified expression.

"Or what." He replied.

I watched helplessly as the girl was being nudged, then her short chestnut colored hair being played with, and her ears being pulled roughly. I tried to keep my expression passive, to keep control over the panic racing through me when I saw the terror in the girl's eyes. She gripped her skirt tightly and shut her eyes.

 _Don't think about it_ , I commanded myself, swallowing the thick lump in my throat.

"It sickens me that people like Cardin Winchester are enrolled in this school." Pyrrha's voice came out biting and hard.

"You got that right." Ruby replied with a nod.

"Guess old habits do die hard." Weiss added.

"Ooh, can we please beat the stuffing out of him." Nora said eagerly, rising from her seat.

"No," Ren answered pensively.

"But Ren, he's—"

"No."

Nora sat back down with a pout on her face.

My stomach churned and my heart pounded as I forced myself to stare at the girl.

"Jaune, breathe," Pyrrha murmured from next to me.

I realized that I was gripping my hands so tightly that my palms were white, and my chest was heaving. I had to get myself under control. There's got to be something we could do. Why hasn't anyone stepped in? Where was the staff when you needed them?

When team CRDL stopped, Cardin reached out and yanked something from the girl's neck: a locket.

"Stop, give that back!" she said, standing in front of him. Cardin opened the contents of the necklace.

"Aww, she misses her mommy and daddy," he said. He turned and spotted an open window. He clutched his hand, and raised his arm.

"I said give that back!" she repeated more vehemently. She stood up and wrapped her arms around Cardin's arm.

"This little piece of—" he cut himself off, gesturing to one of his companions.

Dove grabbed the girl's arms and pulled. She screamed, reaching and grasping for her necklace. Many students looked on, with no intention in helping the Faunus. Cardin raised his hand and started banging the necklace onto the table, denting it with each hit.

"Stop it!" The girl shouted and thrashed, but it was no use.

I hadn't even realized I'd started to stand up until Pyrrha grabbed my arm, forcing me to stop. My chest was on fire, my whole body thrummed with horror, with fury. Pyrrha threw me a warning glance over her shoulder, as if she could read my thoughts.

"Let me go," I whispered to Pyrrha, my breath coming in spurts.

"Don't do anything that you might regret," she said, meeting my frustrated gaze. "Just let it go." I hadn't realized that few of the students were looking right at me.

A few moments later, Cardin tossed the necklace onto the table carelessly.

"This is getting boring," he gestured Dove to release her. "See you later, freak." With one last look, he and his companions turned on their heels and strode out of the dining hall. The Faunas girl hesitantly stayed, sat back down, and sobbed quietly. She grabbed her necklace and looked at it with both of her palms. The locket was split into two.

I was about to walked over until another Faunas girl walked up to her, sat down next to her, and held out her hand. She spoke softly to her, it was Velvet.

I took a step back and bumped into the table behind me. My hands shook and my veins pumped hard.

In one swift movement, I ran.

"Where the heck is he going?" I heard Weiss asked, but then I was running, tripping, fleeing from that place. From the disgust, and fury that almost made me do something that would have ended my education as a huntsmen.

"Jaune!" I heard my partner calling after me but I didn't turn back, not even for her. I ran and ran, all the way across campus, dodging students and professors, up the dormitory stairs, and to my room. Locking the door behind me, I slid to the ground at went to the bottom right hand corner of the room and buried my head in my arms.

Pyrrha came into our room about twenty-minutes later, when I'd finally regained control of myself. I realized how stupid I'd been. How much of a scene. I've made mistakes before, but running away wasn't one of them. The moment when that Faunas girl cried—it reminded of thatgirl.

When Pyrrha came in, looking fretful, I was sitting on my bed, my arms wrapped around my body, holding myself together.

"Jaune—you okay?" She began but I shook my head, she walked over to me, and she lowered herself over to her bed.

I turned to face her; her face frowned with sadness, but her eyes were tender when she met my ashamed gaze.

"I know how she'd felt." I muttered, my voice tight with pain.

"What do you mean?" She asked quietly, fearing that she didn't know.

She took my hand and squeezed it. "You can tell me."

I was quiet and didn't know what to say to her. My mind was blank.

"You might think you could've done something to help that girl, but sometimes you need to think things through before you do something rash."

I couldn't bring myself to smile, because it was true. Her quick thinking had save me from getting in a fight with Cardin, or even worse.

"Do you want me to get you something?"

"No," I said. "But… I could use your help with training tomorrow."

She smiled. "Of course."

She stood up, walked over to the door, and closed the door behind her. I waited until I could no longer hear her footsteps across the hall before I finally lowered myself onto my bed. Even then, it took a few hours before I was able to go to sleep.


	4. Chapter 3

**Authors Note: horizontal line means start and end of flash back**

 **Beauty and the Fool Chapter 3**

The next morning, the air was still dry and the sun's glare was nearly unbearable. Sweat dripped between my shoulder blades and ran off my chest. The heat was so complete, it felt alive, as though it sucked at me, pulling my eyelids lower and making my limbs heavy. My lungs ached, but I ignored it all: the heat, the burn of calluses on my hands as I swung my sword upward to parry Pyrrha's attempt to strike me.

Pyrrha had left herself unprotected on the right side of her torso. I struck towards her side hard and fast. On instinct, she lifted her shield to block the newly protected area. With a swift movement, she arched her body backwards, delivering a round-house kick to my wrist, causing me to drop my sword. Before I had a chance to react, I raised my shield to block Pyrrha's hook kick to the head, knocking me to the ground.

A light round of applause greeted her victory.

"Way to go Pyrrha," I heard Nora say.

"Nicely done," Ren commented back.

Pyrrha stood over me, her chest heaving, loosely holding her sword. Extending her free hand, she helped me back up. "Good match Jaune."

"Same to you," I grumbled, rubbing the left side of my head.

I swiped the sweat on my forehead; I whirled to face the Ren and Nora, who stood outside the ring watching.

"Why don't we get some lunch," Pyrrha said.

"Sure but, I'll catch up with you guys later," I gestured for them to go.

Pyrrha hung back.

"Nora, why don't you and Ren reserve a table." Nora hesitated for a moment, but then she had a mischievous look on her face.

"Whatever you say, come on Ren," Nora grabbed Ren by the wrist marched away from us.

"Please slow down," he said, his voice parted. They left, leaving only Pyrrha and I.

"What's up?" I recognized the pensive look on her face.

"You know what I'm talking about. The way you were fighting just now, you were out of sync."

I remained silent, my jaw clenched. I didn't want to talk about it, but she was my partner. Her gaze fixated on mine.

"What happened back there?"

"I was careless, and I wasn't paying attention; that's all it was."

"Do you take me for a fool?" Pyrrha's voice held a note of warning.

I turned my back on my partner. "Look, I'll catch up. Just leave me alone."

I clutched to my sword tightly, ignoring the uncomfortable squirm in my stomach.

"Very well." Pyrrha paused, and her expression softened. "I know what you must be feeling right now. But you have to let that go."

Pyrrha turned without another word and walked away.

Even though my muscles burned with exhaustion, I forced myself to lift Corcea Mors and work through my forms one more time. Thrust, jab, parry, spin, and attack. Slashed upward, downward, sideways, and outward. When I was on the roof with Pyrrha, I told that the reason I cheated my way to Beacon was that I wanted to become a hero like my father. To take on the family name. But how could I? I couldn't help one girl from a bully.

* * *

The memories flooded up as I spun through the ring, lunging, crouching, and fighting a whole horde of imaginary foes from my past.

I thought of the night when I was seven, and overheard my parents talking about me. We lived outside the border of Vale, but the threat of an attack was unlikely. Dad begun teaching my older sisters how to fight. It did not interest me one bit.

When I turned eight, I asked if I could watch. Mom protested, but Dad thought it be educational. Watching Dad spar thrilled me in a way I couldn't understand at that age. There was no way I could spin, twist, and lung, to make a sword an extension of my body. One day, Dad asked if I could spar with him. I declined. If I did, Mom would hit me and put me in a corner with no dinner. Growing up, Mom was very protective of me, she always told me to stay away when Dad and my sisters were training. I never understood why. Dad met Mom during combat school after they graduated from Beacon; they agreed to settle down and have a family. When Dad got called back to service, he left home to fight against the White Fang over West. Mom did not hear from him. When he returned, he was considered a hero. Couple weeks later, I was born. At least, that's what Mom told me.

* * *

I continued through my practice, the ghosts of my family seemed to surround me. I licked my lips and tasted the salt of my own sweat and tears. I hoped that if anyone watched me, the extra moisture on my face would be indistinguishable from the perspiration dripping down my neck. My muscles were on fire, my whole body cried out from the exertion, but it wasn't enough to drive the pain from my heart.

 _Maybe I could have saved them, if I had just gotten a little stronger_.

I wiped my face with my sleeve when there was a shout from across the training ground.

"Jaune! Come, quick!"

I turned to see Nora running towards me. I picked up my sword, shoving it into the scabbard hooked around my waist.

"Nora, what's up?"

She stopped halfway to where I stood, my hand instinctively going to the hilt of my sword again. "Every student are called to the amphitheater. Someone tried to kill Ozpin."


	5. Chapter 4

**Beauty and the Fool Chapter 4**

I woke up with my yukata sticking to my skin, my hair in a complete mess, and I wiped the drool coming down my chin. I uttered sounds in my pillow until I found myself fully awake. I rolled over, seeing Weiss still sleeping peacefully and the exhaustion hit me all over again. I clutched at my stomach, tried to push the fatigue away from my chest. The smell of sweat was on my hair and on my skin.

I stood up, stripped the clothes from my body, and threw them in the hamper. I walked into the bathroom, removed my bow, turned on the shower, and washed my body, trying to scrub away the sweat.

After minutes in the shower, I heard noises from other side of the bathroom wall, it was distinguishable. My friends were finally waking up.

I raked my hands through my long hair. I wrapped my body with a towel, got out of the shower, and stared at the mirror. Already my hair was starting dry.

I took my ribbon, bound it around my ears, and changed into my school uniform.

Voices outside the door to the room alerted me moments before it opened. A shout came from across the room.

"Blake! Get over here!"

I turned to see Ruby calling after me.

"What is it?" I saw Weiss and Yang hovering over Ruby as she pulled up her scroll.

I stopped halfway to where they sat. Then other voices started to become audible beyond the walls around us.

"Someone tried to assassinate Professor Ozpin."

* * *

The amphitheater was in an uproar when we rounded the corner and walked through the door.

"Everyone, please, remain calm," Professor Good witch gestured and shouted the moment we entered.

The staff stood around the outer room. There were also some of General Ironwood's men standing near Professor Goodwitch on the stage. I hurried across the room to where Sun stood, while the rest of my friends gathered around with team JNPR.

Sun had filled me in, telling me that the would-be assassin had been a Bear-Faunus masquerading as a student. Ozpin was in his office. He usually was joined with Professor Goodwitch. When the girl was called into his office, she'd drawn a knife from her waist and lunged at the Headmaster. Professor Goodwitch had stopped her in time and supposedly she was now being detained for questioning before going to the prison airship.

"Where's the Headmaster?"

"In his office," It looked like Sun was suffering from quite a bit of shock himself.

"And the girl?"

"Look, there she is!" Sun pointed to the other side of the room, moving aside so I had a clear view of the would-be assassin. She was tied and the guards hovered over her. But when our eyes met across the room, hers widened.

She struggled but the guards on each side tried to restrain her. Panic burned hot in my veins. What was _Grace_ doing here? Was she still with the White fang and become an _assassin_?

"Take her to the airship for questioning," General Ironwood ordered.

"Yes, sir," the tall soldier said.

I watched as the other man took her from the room, still struggling. I forced myself to turn away, to remain in control. Calm and collected.

"You there," Ironwood said. The taller Atlas soldier stood at attention. "Tell the commander our forces are on high alert. No one enters or leaves Beacon until further notice."

"Yes sir, right away!" The soldier responded, he nodded and marched out of the room.

"Everyone! Return to your classrooms immediately!" Good witch commanded.

Many students made their way to the exit in an orderly fashion. I stood a little bit behind Sun on the threshold. As we were the last ones to walk out, I caught a glimpse of Professor Goodwitch talking to Ironwood at the center of the stage. I took a step back and hid behind the corner of the door. I cautiously eavesdrop on their conversation.

"We need to discuss this with Ozpin tonight," Goodwitch said.

"Agreed." Iron wood replied.

The two strolled out in the opposite direction, using the rear exit of the building.

* * *

Later that night, the air was still dry, and would likely stay that way for a while. The darkness was so complete; it felt alive, as though it sucked at me. The campus grounds were mostly peaceful, that aside, the Headmaster's office was near the top of Beacon's tower, located at the center of campus. I spotted Goodwitch and Ironwood turning left, passing the dining the hall and the library.

Once they reached the tower, I quickly hid behind a bush and poked my head a bit to see them standing in an elevator; it closed and ascended at a leisurely pace. Two soldiers were guarding the front entrance. With no other sign of entry, I stood up and swiftly made my way to back of the tower; jumping through the thick trees and using the shadows to my advantage. When I reached the back of the tower where no soldiers were guarding, I flung Gambol Shroud in chain sickle form and swung myself upward, switching arms and latching Gambol Shroud to the statues around the tower until I landed on a ledge. There was enough space for me to press my back against a pillar near the skylights around me. With the moon blocked by the dark, thick clouds in the night sky, a shadow would not cast off me.

Suddenly, I heard the elevator reaching the top and doors slowly opened.

"Are you okay Ozpin?" Ironwood said.

I looked over my shoulder and saw Professor Ozpin sitting in his large armchair, his head between his hands, elbows propped up on his desk. There was a feeling of heaviness in the room, as though the air had taken on the weight of something unseen.

"Ozpin?" he repeated.

Ozpin drew in a sharp breath. "Where is the assassin now?"

"She's on my airship in cell 243 awaiting questioning."

"I see." He reached and took a sip from his coffee mug. "I assume she'll be punished under the full extent of the law, am I correct?"

I wasn't sure I understood what he was asking of him. It felt like there was an underlying question, a hidden meaning beneath his drawling voice, sentencing Grace to death while practically yawning.

"The assassin will undoubtedly be punished for her crimes. But your safety as Headmaster must come first."

"As it should be." He lifted something from his desk, rubbed it between his thumb and forefinger. It looked like a trinket of some sort.

"It was quite a shock to find that one of our own students would come at me with a knife. But thanks to Glynda, I get to live another day."

"Sir, if it wasn't for me, you would've been—"

"I know." He cut Good witch off abruptly. "I appreciate the concern, but do not take me so likely Glynda."

"My apologies." She lowered her head. A strange, unaccustomed silence settled upon the room.

"Ozpin, if I may," Ironwood took a half step towards Ozpin. "The sooner we interrogate the assassin, the sooner we know where the enemy is hiding and what they're planning."

Professor Ozpin was silent for a moment, he barely inclined his head.

"Very well, I looked forward in seeing your full report on the subject." Ozpin said.

Iron wood pressed his fist to his chest, turned on his heel, headed to the elevator, and exited the room.

"Tell me something Glynda. How long until this world is finally consumed into darkness?"

"Even I can't answer that," Goodwitch replied.

I stared after them, shifting my face into a mask to conceal the dread coiling my chest. I had to get down to the airship where they held Grace right away, before Grace reveals my secret.


	6. Chapter 5

**Beauty and the Fool Chapter 5**

My footsteps muffled on the concrete floor leading down to the landing platforms. The outfit I wore was my general attire; my weapon at my side. I knew what I intended to do—what I _had_ to do. Intimidate Grace to keep her from revealing who I really am. I'd managed to sneak into Ironwood's ship when two soldiers guarding the front entrance were sleeping on the job. My secret depended on keeping her silent.

The ship inside was refreshing, the air cool and bracing as I ascended deeper into the depths of the carrier. It would be a kindness on my part to fulfill Grace's sentence quickly. To die fast was better than to rot in a small confined cell.

I hid against a doorway as two Atlas soldiers were passing by.

I waited until they turned left and quietly made me way to the opposite direction, turning left, turning right, and flung Gambol Shroud to the next level. The air became colder as I ascended. When I reached the upper level on the left side, I pressed my back against the wall and pulled a hand-held mirror from my pocket. As I glanced at it, the interior of the brig looked unfamiliar. It was gothic in architecture, with flying buttresses and an arched window at end of the hall.

"Let me out of here!" A shout came from across the corridor as I adjusted the mirror and saw two soldiers standing between an arc shaped metal box on my side. I recognized the voice immediately, it was Grace.

As I quietly flung Gambol Shroud to the buttress above me, I carefully slip through the small openings with each jump, until I stood above the soldiers.

Without warning, I flung Gambol Shroud to their necks, pulled them together, and slammed their heads together, knocking them out cold. I jumped down and noticed the combination lock of the side of the door.

Without hesitation, I sliced the lock with determination and the door opened downward. She was tied behind her back in a chair and it looked like the fight seemed to have gone out of her. She stared up at me, motionless.

"Why did you do it?" I took a step, my hand resting on the hilt of Gambol Shroud. "Do you know what the penalty is for tempted murder?"

She glared up at me.

"Answer me!" I snapped, pulling out my weapon and leveling it at her throat in one swift movement.

She gasped, pulling back instinctively.

"Do you even know the consequences of your actions?" I barked.

Finally, Grace nodded, and tears filled her eyes. She spoke, but the words were garbled by saliva back-upped to her throat. I lifted my weapon to her face and her eyes widened in terror. But instead of cutting her face or fulfilling her sentence prematurely as she surely feared I was about to do, I pulled back Gambol Shroud back to its sheath.

"Death," she whispered, visibly trembling.

"That's right."

"What's _happened_ to you, Bla—"

"Why did you try to kill the Headmaster?"

She was silent for a short moment.

"It was the only way,"

I stared at Grace incredulously. How had a girl who was afraid to go into battle found her way into such a position? I hadn't known her well since I joined the White Fang, but I had not pegged her as the assassin type. "The only way for what? To show your loyalty to the White Fang?"

"I know you recognized me. I wondered what happened to you after you left Adam."

Hearing Adam's name felt like the red-hot tip of the farrier's iron tunneling into my belly. I pressed the edge of my sword into her cheek, not hard enough to cut her, but enough to stop her from talking. "I have no idea what you're talking about, and if you know what's good for you, I suggest you start explaining. Why did you try to kill Professor Ozpin?" The fear in Grace's eyes turned my veins. Self-loathing filled my throat with acid. My hands were sweaty and my legs were weak. But my life depended on slicing her—and as much as I wished I could change things, Grace's life was already forfeit. "Why did you do it?"

"With his and the councilmen's death, the war between humans and Faunas would soon come to an end. Their deaths would mean a chance for Faunas's alike to live in peace and equality." A dark shadow crossed her face as Grace lifted her chin, scraping her cheek on the edge of my weapon, showing the first bit of backbone that led me to believe she really could be the one who raced towards the Headmaster with a knife.

"How could killing the Headmaster bring peace? Do you really think that killing would solve everyone's problem?"

"Not everyone, just the Faunas. I wouldn't expect you to understand, but the old you would." Grace's eyes flashed in the dim light, her tone snide.

"What are you talking about?"

"Come on, we both know the truth. The _real_ reason you chose to become a huntress."

"Shut up!" I growled, pressing the sword against her throat again. The heavy tension, pressing against me. The guilt squirming in my stomach was enough to make me gag.

Grace leaned forward, as far as the blade would allow. "I watched how you take down your enemies. If pretending to be a huntress is what you had to do to atone for your sins, it obviously worked."

My hand trembled on my sword and I glanced wildly over my shoulder, terrified if my friends knew about this.

"I won't reveal your secret, even if they tortured me or sentenced me to my death. I knew what the risks were and this is what I get. It's just how the world works."

My grip on my weapon tightened.

"But if you really want to change the course of history, then follow the river. The answer lies in the Forever Fall Forest."

"I said, Shut up!" I yelled again, trying to cover up the unsteady beating of my heart, the pulse of fear and fascination that surged through my blood.

Grace leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. I shoved Gambol Shroud into its scabbard. Just before I got into place, her eyes opened again and she whispered, "Just finish me already."

I heard noises coming from the right side of the wall, muted, and it became more audible very second.

My fingers shook as I was forced to pull up Gambol Shroud to gun point, but then I paused. "If you tell anyone about who I am, you will be sorry."

"Thank you, Blake," Grace said softly.

I turned and dashed away, leaving her in darkness, then the alarms was set off. I rushed out of the ship as fast I could. I had to get out of there. Away from the cold, the soldiers, the fear the bitter taste in my mouth. I ran down the corridor and down the stairs, desperate to get away. When I reached the front entrance, the soldiers guarding it were awake and alert. They were armed and ready to fire.

"Freeze!" One of the soldiers said and they fired their rifles.

I swiftly used my semblance to create a shadow clone, taking the hit. Then I jumped high in the air by using all of my leg muscles. Their shots missed as I easily made my escape down the Main Avenue.

"Get back here!" One called after me as I rushed across campus. I flung Gambol Shroud onto a ledge on the building to my left, where I swung myself upward and landed on the roof. I ran and ran, all the way across the campus, from the fear of discovery, and from the tantalizing thought of Grace finishing of what she started? It was impossible. She was deranged, just like my previous partner. Killing the Headmaster would only make things worse. And Grace's hints made no sense. Follow the river? The key could be found in the Forever Fall Forest? There were rivers on that area.

No, I would never consider it. Whether I believed her or not.

Finally, I reached the roof of the dormitory. I had to stop, turn away, and concentrate on staring up. My long, wavy hair flowed carelessly across the gentle breeze. Thick clouds bruised the color of midnight blue rushed across the starry sky towards me. A sliver of the shattered moon was just barely visible. The wind picked up speed, sending chills across my body.


	7. Chapter 6

**Beauty and the Fool Chapter 6**

Despite how exhausted I was; I couldn't sleep as I lay on the bed. Now that my team went out into town, I'm grateful I declined and was left to be alone. I laid under the blanket, still wearing my uniform, then took a brief shower before changing into my yukata.

The skylight above me glowed with the white light of the moon as I stared up at the window. Though I kept my body still, my mind spun around and around mercilessly. I hadn't been able to warn the others about Grace.

I needed Yang. As she'd said to me only a couple weeks ago, I needed to slow down. When there's a chance for me to rest, I should take it. She would have been able to tell me what to do. But she wouldn't have been able to figure out what was going on. My eyes burned and I shut them, pressing the heels of my hands against them to push the emotion away. I tried to force myself not to think about Adam, because there was nothing I could do to change what he had become. He was a monster, and I knew it all too well.

And now Grace, who had been a farmer's innocent daughter would be punished for her crime.

My stomach twisted, and I had to jump out of bed and rush over to the bathroom. I barely made it in time to heave the contents of my stomach into the toilet. Over and over, I retched until there was nothing left but bile, burning as it came up. Finally, tears running down my cheeks and my stomach aching, I was done. I shakily put the lid on top of the toilet to smother the smell until I could gather enough strength to do something about it.

I heard the door behind me slip open right before my partner asked, "Blake? Are you okay?"

I jumped up, stepping out of the bathroom. "I'm fine. What are you doing here?"

We locked gazes across the room, the pale moonlight washing over her, transforming her into a specter come to haunt me.

"I wanted to check up on you." Yang said. "You haven't been like yourself since yesterday."

"I'm telling you, I'm fine."

"And I'm telling _you_ that you're full of crap. Like literally, you just spewed crap all over the toilet for crying out loud." Yang echoed, one eyebrow lifting. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

I didn't respond, staring at her chin rather than meeting her eyes.

She gestured to the bed. "Sit down. You and I are going to have a little heart to heart."

I haltingly stepped forward but couldn't bring myself to sit down on the bed while my partner stood before me.

"Come on, we don't have all night. I need to pick up Ruby and Weiss later."

We stood there in silence as I battled with myself. I couldn't stop thinking about Grace, how I'd stared at Yang and even let myself remember her comforting me in her arms. We were treading on dangerous water. The closer I allowed us to become, the harder it would be to keep the truth from her. And no matter what, I could never let her find out my secret.

Before I decided what to do, she did as she'd asked me to do and sat down on my bed with a sigh. She propped her elbows on her knees and dropped her head into her hands. "Remember that one ice-cream colored chick we ran on the train? You know, the girl who was with Roman."

I stared down at her bowed head. Whatever it was I'd been expecting her to talk to me about, a confession about her fight wasn't it.

I nodded, but she didn't look up.

So slowly my knee actually creaked in protest, I gingerly lowered myself down to sit beside her on the bed.

"What about it? You've won right?"

Yang turned to look at me. There was an expression of such undistinguished anguish on her face. "Not exactly." She head shook. "I was the one who lost."

I fought valiantly to maintain my composure, but it was a losing battle. "Then how did you make it out there in one piece?"

"I tried to land some hits, but it didn't work. She kicked me and I hit the ceiling pretty hard, didn't know long I was knocked out. But when I opened my eyes, a woman I never seen before walked away from me and she just... disappeared."

I blinked rapidly to clear my throat and to clear my eyes, meeting Yang's pointed gaze with a feeling like a hand had reached beneath my ribs and was squeezing the air out of my lungs.

"She saved me and didn't had a chance to thank her."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because everything we did. Everything we've been through. We did it has a team so…why should I hide it?"

An uncomfortable silence fell upon us and I looked away from Yang to stare at my bare feet on the floor. It hit me how very little I really knew about my partner.

"And neither should you." Yang's expression was unreadable in the darkness, but her

"So fess up. Why are you acting so distant from us? And don't you lie to me."

I was silent for several seconds. She was right to be so brazen. It was presumptuous of her even to have ask me to explain myself. My exhaustion, my emotional state, the moonlight on her face, the low timbre of her voice had encouraged me to become too lax.

"Well," I said and I felt her relax slightly next to me, as if the possibility that I might remain upset with her had made her worried.

"Go on." Yang glanced over at me.

Now it was my turn to stiffen. "Look, I'm really tired right now; maybe we could put this off until tomorrow."

Yang looked at me for a long moment, her expression inscrutable in the moonlight. "Really," she sighed, "fine, this counts as a verbal contract, I hope you realize," she continued. "And if there's anything I hate more than losing a strand of my hair, and I love my hair, are people who can't keep their word," she said.

"Okay," I responded. I contemplated her silently for a moment. She couldn't know that the White Fang are involved, that they would send one of their own to assassinate the Headmaster. After these last couple of weeks, it hit me how close I was too finding out what the White Fang were up too. But whenever we go as a team, something unexpected always tend to happen. Sometimes it never comes to our favor. That's why I can't let my partner or anyone else know about it. I just need to wait for the right time.

She remained silent, looking at me.

"Alright," Yang let out a sigh and then stood up. "I better pick up Ruby and Weiss from the station then."

I glanced up at the darkening skylight above us. The moon had traveled out of sight and into the darkening blue clouds. As I turned to my partner, walking away to the door, she stopped at attention.

"Maybe you should tell us _after_ our little field trip," she said.

"Field Trip?"

"Don't you remember? We have a 'Reconnaissance' mission at the Forever Fall Forest?"

Grace immediately came to mind. "And this is tomorrow?" I asked to cover up how nervous I was.

"Yeah, why, is there a problem?" She asked.

"Of course not." I slowly exhaled, the vise on my lungs releasing.

"Then get some rest. I'll be back in a few."

She smiled at me—a brief, sad smile—and then turned and went outside, closing the door silently.

I stared after her for a long while, my stomach tightens, my blood pumping unevenly in my chest. Grace's words came flowing back to me. The White Fang, the forest, and the timing could have not been more off.

Yesterday, I had been in danger of actually letting myself care about my friends. Tomorrow, we would be in danger of far worse.


	8. Chapter 7

**Beauty and the Fool Chapter 7**

The Forever Fall Forest seethed with life—the whisper of leaves moving in the breeze, the buzz of insects, and the call of birds singing and chatting above us in the trees. I suppressed a shudder. Though I'd lived almost my whole life near Forever Fall, I didn't trust it. The dense foliage hid too many dangers. Gambol Shroud was secured in its sheath, tucked around my waist. I still felt vulnerable. I knew there were Grimm hidden within the heart of the forest.

The screech of an animal overhead made me jump, knocking into Yang.

"You're jumpy today," she commented.

"It's nothing, really," I said.

Yang gave me a look but didn't comment any further.

"Ms. Belladonna, Ms. Xio Long," Professor Port called out to us. "I prefer that we stick together; we don't want stragglers wondering around the forest."

We both agreed and lapsed back to silence. The sun had risen overhead hours ago, and I'd spent most of the afternoon trying not to think about Grace and her interrogation.

We followed Professor Port across the forest. Trailing behind him were Ruby, Weiss, Pyrrha, Nora, Ren, and Yang by my side. But Jaune was no were to be seen. When I turned, he was behind, way behind. He was staggering, his breathing labored and his legs looking as though they were about give out.

After hours of walking through the thick foliage, we stopped at a river bed. Professor Port turned to us with a hooded expression. "Now that we're here, I would like to make an announcement."

 _This can't be good_.

"For this mission, I shall break you into teams of two. Think of it as a trust exercise," he continued. "First up, we have Ms. Rose and Ms. Valkyrie." Port announced.

"This is gonna be _awesome_ ," Nora said.

"If you say so." Ruby replied.

"Next we have Ms. Schnee and Mr. Ren."

Ren walked over to Weiss. "This should be interesting," he asked.

"As long as we get the job done." Weiss replied.

"The next is Ms. Xio Long and Ms. Nikos."

Pyrrha turned to Yang. "You ready?"

"You know it," Yang energetically said.

Then the only people left are—

"Mr. Arc and Ms. Belladonna."

"Now then, after your mission is complete, we will meet at the vantage point where a Bullhead will fetch us. You are dismissed."

Yang gave me one last look before everyone wondered into the forest separately, leaving Jaune and I in awkward silence.

Before either one of us decided what to do next, I took a deep breath, exhaled deeply, and brushed past him.

"So, are you ready to get go—", he cut himself off, realizing he was falling behind. "Wait up!" he exclaimed.

I could feel his presence trying to keep up with me. I shouldered Gambol Shroud, slicing downward, sideways, and upward, against the branches blocking our path. The leaves and vines of the forest were shriveled, and the ground hard as we moved forward. My heart thudded in my chest. There was no time to waste as danger draws near.

"How you doing?"

"I'm good," forcing myself to stop thinking about Grace.

"Nice weather we're having." Jaune glanced sideways at me and I shrugged, keeping my face impassive.

"I guess,"

To our right, the sound of rushing water became audible and steadily grew louder. Soon, we broke through the trees to stand on the bank of the river. Our arrival startled a small creature that had been getting a drink. All I saw was a long tail rushing beneath the cover of a bush before it disappeared entirely.

"You don't talk much do you?" Jaune asked.

I sighed. "Look, as much as I want this pointless conversation to continue, I suggest we focus on the mission at hand," realizing my voice came cold as ice.

Jaune nodded, lapsing back into silence, his expression clouded.

"I'm sorry, it's just—"

"You don't have to apologize." He cut me off. "Guess I got a little carried away."

I nodded.

The water of the banks of the river seeped into my boots as I walked along, skirting the edge of the trees, staying close to the water, looking for markings beyond that would indicate that a pack of Grimm might have passed here.

"I heard you guys have a pet dog in your room, that's pretty cool." Jaune spoke hesitantly.

"Yeah, Zwei can be a handful."

"Sounds to me like you _don't_ like Zwei."

"That's because I don't. I'm terrified of dogs."

Jaune laughed. "Seriously? I know I'm scared a lot of things, but a _dog_. You can't be serious."

I shoved him hard enough that he had to check his balance so he didn't topple into the river. "If _you_ mention this anyone, you'll be sorry."

"Okay, okay." He held up his hands in mock surrender. "I promise I won't tell anyone about this."

"Good."

The river grew as we walked, spreading its liquid arms wider and wider, and soon we could see a large body of water ahead of us through the trees.

"You know, for someone who's always distant. You seem pretty cool."

"Oh, uh… thanks." I hesitantly said and picked up my pace, leaving him behind me. When I glanced back to make sure he hadn't stopped entirely, he was right behind me. Guilt gnawed at my stomach. I shouldn't been so harsh to him. Then I remembered the time he tried help that Faunas girl in the dining hall. Although I've seen his skills improved, he still has a long way to go. He was no problems expressing himself to strangers and doesn't care what people think of him; it must be nice. He may come across as naïve and maybe a little dumb, but the truth was the guy was tough. I may not know much about him, but I could tell he has a good heart.

With a sigh, I stopped and turned, ready to make up with Jaune, but no one was there. My heart leaped into my throat, and I whipped out Gambol Shroud. I felt the sting of something pricking my neck.

I tried to fight the spiraling darkness, but my knees buckled on their own accord, and I fell toward the ground. Everything went black.


	9. Chapter 8

**Beauty and the Fool Chapter 8**

The first thing I noticed was the sound of water. It was everywhere, echoing, a dull humming through my head. I tried to open my eyes, but they were so _heavy_ ; I felt as though I had been drugged. I clamped my mouth; I forced my lids to open. I was lying on my back in a cavern. The ceiling looked damp, and the air I breathed was musky with the smell of soil and water.

"She's up," someone remarked from nearby.

"That was fast."

I turned to see two masked men standing over me. They moved their swords to point at my head and heart. The world spun when I laboriously sat up, unable to use my hands to aid me.

"Don't even think about it."

Ignoring them, I fought the spinning in my head and remained sitting.

One of the armed men, holding a sword now, pressed the blade against my forehead. He shouted over his shoulder, "She's ready to talk!"

"Where is he?" I asked.

"What are you babbling about?"

"My companion, where is he." My voice came out wrong, like I'd been drinking and couldn't form my words sharply enough.

"You mean that filthy human. He's alive, unless the Grimm got to him first."

A third masked man walked over to me. He was tall, taller than me, and his arms were thickly muscled. He must be the one in charged.

"Well now, what do we have here," the tall masked man said without introduction.

"Listen, I don't want any trouble."

"Oh, but you did find trouble. Because of you, our commander has made many of our brothers and sisters work to the bone. Many died from exhaustion while some died of unfortunate accidents."

My belly constricted, memories flooded back with regret.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think that—"

"Well you thought wrong!" He snapped, cutting me off. "You there!" pointing to the henchmen to my left. "Search her for anything that might be useful us," he said.

"Right boss," One of the henchmen knelt down behind me while the other pointed his sword at me. The henchmen reached into my back pocket, pulled out my scroll: ID, messages, mission objective. Handing it over to the man in charge.

"Look, you got what you wanted. Now let me go."

I watched as the tall man with the mask turned and walked away, apparently forgetting about me for the moment. The effects of the drug they'd put on their dart was wearing off quickly, and I could have probably disarmed the two men standing guard over me. But I didn't move, choosing to wait and see what would happen.

While I waited, I took account of my surroundings. We were definitely in some kind of cave. I could hear construction across the cavern. I saw trucks unloading boxes that have the Schnee Dust Company logo on it. What were they going to do with all that dust? What was their plan?

Minutes passed in silence; it seemed like they were on lunch break. There was no sign of either a man or woman. What time is it? How long I'd been out? Yang and the others expected us to be back before sun down. What would they do if we didn't return?

Finally, just as my back had begun to ache from sitting against the wall for such a long time, another man strode out of one of the tunnels and headed straight towards me. He was dark- skinned, well-muscled, and he had a mask, just like the other henchmen.

"So you're traitor I've been hearing about." His voice was accented.

"Yeah," I kept my face and voice impassive. "What, are you going to kill me?"

"And why would we do that. Me and my boys have _big_ plans for you," he whispered in my ear. An icy tremor of shock skittered down my spine. I clenched my fists to keep my hands from shaking. He nodded at the two men standing over me. 'Take her."

He turned on his heel and strode away as the guard on my right reached down and yanked me up. I pulled out of his grasp and barely suppressed the urge to knock him out cold. He was obviously someone who underestimated my ability to fight. How I would have loved to wipe the smug expression from his face.

But I held my temper in check as the other henchman took a lit torch from a sconce and headed across the cavern. It was more important to get out of here, retrieve my gear, find Jaune, and head to the vantage point before nightfall. I wanted to put as much distance between the man and myself as possible.

Where's my weapon?" I asked as I followed the men down one of the tunnels.

"Don't get any funny ideas." The man snorted, and his companion couldn't quite hide a bark of laughter.

There was no way I was going back into the forest unarmed. I glanced at them out of the corner of my eye. They both carried decent swords. It was better than nothing. I docilely followed them on a winding path through various tunnels. The light of the torch was the only thing beating back the darkness. At times, we sloshed through water, or it dripped on our heads. I tried not to think about what could be in the tunnels with us.

I shuddered.

"Where's Jaune?" I turned to ask gruffly.

"Shut up, I'm sure he's around somewhere."

The shorter one smirked. I'd been watching him walk and noticed that he favored his left leg, most likely from a healed, recent injury.

Without any warning, I kicked him in the right knee. With a cry, he dropped to the ground. His right leg gave out, just as I'd figured it would. Before he even had a chance to realize he was on the ground, I'd already grabbed his wrist and twisted it in a movement so hard and fast, I could hear the bone snap and his sword drop to the ground.

"Why you little—" I picked it up just in time for me to spin and parry the blow heading in my direction as his partner charged at me. Within less than a minute, I had disarmed him as well, and they were both on the ground.

I let the guy with the broken wrist be, since he made no move to attack me again. But his partner tried to get back up, so I hit him in the side of the head with the hilt of the sword, hard enough to knock him out.

I unhooked the unconscious man's scabbard and tightened it around my waist. I sheathed the two swords. I got outside and I stormed into the darkening forest.


	10. Chapter 9

**Beauty and the Fool Chapter 9**

The small fire I built hissed and popped in front of me, like a glowing beacon. It may attract any living being or thing that might be lurking nearby in the dark trees. I felt exposed with the bright flames illuminating me, filling the air with light and smoke. But it would have been even worse to huddle in the damp, dark night without it.

My stomach ached with hunger and fear. There was still no sign of Jaune. I'd hope he notice my fire and find me. My body battled between the adrenaline of fear and the exhaustion. I needed sleep. My limbs felt heavy and my eyelids slowly opened after each blink.

Until I heard a snap in the bushes behind me.

Instantly awake, I held my breath, my fingers inching toward the sword that lay across my lap. I don't think an animal would make a noise like that, not if it were stalking me. Could it be Jaune?

I turned and glanced behind me, and just as I did, I saw a blur of motion out of the corner of my eye. I swung back outward to see a massive black body lunging out of the bushes towards me. I only had time to open my mouth to yell as I swung my sword outward to block my neck before the Beowolf was on me, claws and teeth flashing in the firelight, diving for my throat. I threw my weight backward and tried to lift the sword up into the creature's throat, as its claws tore the right side of my ribs, pressing me into the ground. I felt fire on my ribs and arm, and distantly realized it was pain. But still there was no time to asset any damage, not while the beast was still trying to get past the blade. The edge of my sword cut into my jaw, but I didn't care. It was only thing keeping the abomination from tearing my throat.

It tried again, biting down hard, and got a mouthful of blade. It growled in pain and swiped the side of my head with one massive paw. My ears were throbbing in pain. More fire exploded across my skull and stars popped in front of my eyes. The grip on my sword weakened.

Suddenly, the Beowolf let out a howl of such pain and fury that it almost deafened me. A familiar sword protruded from its chest. The monster's eyes rolled into its head and collapsed on top of me, pushing all the air from my lungs. It didn't take long before the Beowolf dissolved into the air. And then, just when my vision began to go dark from lack of oxygen, it was gone and Jaune stood over me, his chest heaving, holding Crocea Mors.

"Blake! Are you okay?" He dropped to his knees beside me. The fire was gone now and in its place was a pain so intense, so excruciating, I didn't dare move, afraid I'd make it worse.

I was soaked in my own blood. My ribs, my arms, and my ears are throbbed with pain. I was afraid to look down and see how bad it really was.

"Jaune, how did you—"

"We'll worry about that later," he cut me off abruptly. "Right now, you need to stay with me." He pulled his hooded jacket over his head and began to tear his white t-shirt into strips.

"I can't," I finally said. My voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes you can. I know you're stronger than this." Jaune bent over me and tugged on my vest. I realized what he was trying to do all at once and I reached up with my right hand and grabbed his wrist.

"Stop." It was hard to speak past the pain, the breathlessness that still plagued me. I wondered if the Beowolf had punctured my lung. "Don't. Don't tear it."

"Blake, if I don't treat this now, then you'll—"

" _No_ ," I tightened my grip on his wrist, trying to pull his hand away from my vest. "Please, just go."

He stared down at me, his face shadowed in the firelight. The light undulated in the breeze, and I realized his eyes were full of remorse. My insides clenched.

With a deep sigh, he covered my right hand with his left. "I'm not going to leave you."

"Why can't you just—" I cut myself off with a horrified gasp as I realized what he'd said. I shook my head, my filling with tears. My mouth opened, but nothing came out.

His grip tightened on my hand as my whole body began to tremble. From pain, from blood loss, from shock.

Finally, I managed to whisper, " _Why_?"

"Because I'm tired of watching people die." He stared at my mouth, at my chin, anywhere but my eyes.

The pain that encompassed my body was eclipsed by the shock pulsing through me with each beat of my heart.

"I can't let that happen again." His grip tightened. The tears that had gathered in my eyes leaked out, slipping down both of my temples as I lay there on the ground, broken inside and out. " _Jaune_."

Jaune shook, reaching with one hand to brush the tears from my face. "Everything is going to be okay." His fingers lingered on my temple.

"If you're done being melodramatic, you'll need my help. Otherwise, neither of you will survive the night."

The voice came from just outside the light of my fire. I forced myself to lift my head, but when I did, the pain became unbearable. Strange, bright lights popped in front of my eyes, and then everything began to tunnel into darkness. I saw a woman with a hood step into the circle of the firelight.

And then I was gone.


	11. Chapter 10

**Beauty and the Fool: Chapter 10**

When I awoke, I was lying on a pile of soft furs, and the pain was gone.

Above me was a damp, rocky ceiling with tiny dust crystals hanging from it. Water droplets slid down the walls around me. I scanned my surroundings. Someone's bedroom from what I could gather, covered in naturally formed dust crystals. As I turned to glance around, I was alone, with only two torches to light the small cavern. There were empty dust canisters on the right side. I could hear rushing water beyond the crystal walls. My breathing slowed as I tried to take in the humid air. I hardly dared look down at myself, afraid of what I would see.

"Blake." I heard Jaune's voice, and I turned to see him rushing opening towards me. "How are you feeling?" There was a tenderness in his voice, and I remembered last night when I lay dying on the ground in front of him; he'd admitted that he wasn't going to lose me. Simultaneous relief and anger surged up.

"I don't know," I answered gruffly when he dropped to his knees next to me.

"Well, I'm just glad you're okay." Jaune reached to touch my head, but I jerked out of his grasp. He pulled his hand back and looked down at his lap, but not before I saw the hurt flash through his usually warm dark-blue eyes.

'You're mad," he said quietly.

"Of course I'm mad!" I burst out. "Why did you try to save me?"

"Because I made a promise to myself that I wasn't going let any of my friends get hurt. Your life was too precious to be taken away."

His words wormed past my anger, brushing my heart with warmth. I could feel myself softening.

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

I reached up hesitantly, expecting to feel huge gash on my ear where the Beowolf had batted me. Instead, I found nothing, like it wasn't even there.

"No," I finally said. "How?"

"Right before you collapsed, a woman in a hood healed you with her magic. She told me that we could stay here for the night."

I pulled up the sleeve of my shirt to find the same thing—the right side of my ribs was completely healed, with four bright pink scars to mark where the claws had torn through my flesh.

"She also said that we need to go as soon as you wake up." Jaune sat back on his heels, watching me as I slowly sat up.

"Then why did she help us."

"Who knows?"

"Then we better get moving." I stood up and flexed my left hand and stretched my neck, rolling my head in wonder. I couldn't believe the pain and horror the both of us had been through. I was scarred, but I was better. I glanced down and realized I was dressed with a clean white shirt. Whoever had taken care of me did a pretty good job.

'The exit is right over there." Jaune gestured to a tunnel that broke off from ours, heading to the left. We started walking slightly downward, the walls around us were rockier and fewer crystals formed. The sound of rushing water grew more audible.

"Hold on a sec." He grabbed something from his pocket and gave it to me. I recognized it as my own. The only thing that keeps me from being seen for what I am. My weapon was gone, but I was glad to get my ribbon back.

"Thank you," I said, strapping it onto my ears.

"No problem. But between you and me, I think you look better without your bow. Just saying.

I suddenly felt hot, and I glanced over my shoulder once with embarrassment. I hoped to see someone—anyone—but the path behind us was empty. I hurried after Jaune. We walked out into the sunlight, and to our right, the water rushed down above the mountain and calmed down into the river a couple feet from us.

"If we follow the river upstream, it should lead us to right where we started." I remarked.

Jaune nodded but didn't say anything else. He took the lead this time, and I was happy to follow, although I kept checking over my shoulder, my heart beating in my chest. An uncomfortable silence weighed on the air around us, heavier even than the oppressive humidity, which coated my skin so that I was already damp with sweat.

"Jaune I'm—" I stumbled over a tree root and my cheeks flamed. "Can we stop for a second?"

He immediately turned around. "You okay?" There was nothing but concern in his eyes, and it made me feel even worse.

"No. I mean, yes, I'm okay. It's just… I don't know. I'm sorry."

"What are you apologizing for?"

I couldn't meet his gaze and looked up past his shoulder to the crowded tress.

"I'm sorry I've been angry about…you know. I should probably be thanking you."

He was silent, and I hazard a glance back at his face. The intensity of his gaze made my stomach flutter. The flecks of sapphire in his irises were prominent in the bright sunlight. "Thanking me for what exactly?" he asked finally.

I cleared my throat, telling myself to calm down. The heat, the humidity, the strange and overwhelming last few days were all getting to me.

"For saving my life."

I made my voice soft and folded my arms across my chest.

"Sure, what are friends for." he replied, his expression growing more guarded. "Come on, let's keep going."

"Okay."

I nodded, then glanced up at the sky. The sun was almost directly overhead. "Let's keep up the pace, before the sun goes down again." I brushed past him and took off down the path, making my strides as long as possible, eating the distance between me and the vantage point. I didn't look back to see if Jaune had followed, but I could feel his presence behind me.

The soil remained dry and grainy. Leaves and twigs crackled beneath my feet with every step. The wind whistled above the sappy-red trees, creating a hypnotic symphony. The bees hummed and the birds chirped as I inhaled the sweet and intoxicating air as the light hit my skin.

We didn't speak or stop the rest of the way except for when I took a sip of water with my hands by the mossy river. Jaune watched as I drank, standing at the base of a large tree but didn't ask if I was finished.

* * *

Finally, hours later, we were almost there. Beyond the trees was a clearing, a flattened area where a Bullhead was stationed. The wide clearing had less trees and vegetation scattered around. There was less grass and more dirt around the clearing, and a small fire place near the front of the Bullhead. We hadn't even made it to the site before someone came running towards us, it was Ruby.

"You guys!" She exclaimed. The others came running as well.

"Glad both of you are okay." Ren said.

"We were so worried about you guys." Nora confirmed.

"Yeah seriously, what took you so—" Weiss paused, giving us a long, searching look first. "Blake, what the heck happened to your clothes?" Weiss exclaimed.

"Where are your weapons?" Ren asked.

Jaune and I stood there in silence. I lifted my chin, my teeth clamped together against any display of weakness.

"It's…complicated." I said.

"Complicated how?" Yang coming into question.

"We'll explain later." Jaune changed the subject. "Where's Pyrrha?"

"She's on the ship with Professor Port." Nora answered.

"Okay, let's not keep them waiting."

Heading towards the ship, Jaune gave a glance. Finally, he turned and we followed the others.

My stomach churned, leaving the forest and all that had happened behind, heading toward a different type of danger waiting for Jaune and I. With each step, the smell of kerosene became overwhelming.

We hadn't even made inside the ship before someone jumped in front of Jaune. It was Pyrrha.

"You're alive!" she exclaimed, right before grabbing her partner into a tight embrace.

I watched silently.

They broke apart and Pyrrha turned to face me, like it was my fault. "What happened at the forest? Why didn't call from your scrolls? We were worried sick."

Suddenly someone called to us. "Mr. Arc. Ms. Belladonna." It was Professor Port. "My word, you gave us quite the scare. Are you two alright?"

"We're fine professor; we should head back to Beacon." I said.

"Excellent, I'll let the pilot know." Professor Port walked over to the flight deck.

"Take us to Beacon Academy," he said.

"Yes sir!" the pilot acknowledged.

Bullhead started its engines. The noise coming from the rotors, it sounded like a buzz saw generated by the fan blades. When it slowly ascended, the sound grew louder. Within minutes, we were soaring through the sky.

* * *

Hours later, it was nightfall; dark clouds had gathered overhead, with a good chance of rain and thunder. Luckily, the ship can take hits due to it's significant amount of armor. The lights in Beacon came closer and closer as the Bullhead descended. It landed, opened its doors, and we walked out, with Ruby, Weiss, and Yang on my heels.

"Are you going to tell them what happened at the forest?" Jaune asked quietly as we exited the ship, heading down to the main avenue.

"I will," I replied. "I'll let them know by tonight."

Jaune nodded, and we continued to walk across campus. We reached our dorm rooms. Ruby, Weiss, Yang, and I waved to team JNPR goodnight, but not before Pyrrha gave one dark look before going back to their dorm.

I opened my team's door and walked into the room. Ruby and Weiss were ready for bed, but I spoke up.

"There's something I need to tell you guys."

"Sure, what is it?" Ruby asked.

"This can't be good." Weiss said.

Yang's right eyebrow lifted. Once the door was shut, I told them what happened at the Forever Fall Forest and my suspicions. Their expressions grew progressively grimmer as I spoke. It was late.

"So you don't know who healed you after the fight with the Beowolf?" Ruby asked when I finished.

"No." I answered with a frown.

"It's a miracle that both of you made it out alive." Weiss said softly.

"So, what do we do now?" Yang asked.

"I don't know." I said.

There was a moment of silence.

"Oh yeah, have you heard?" Weiss asked when I finished.

"Heard? Heard what?"

"The Faunas girl who supposedly attacked Ozpin a few days ago. She broke out."

My heart skipped a beat. "What happened?"

"She was rescued by a hooded stranger."


	12. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: I know this chapter is long overdue, but I've been making significant changes on certain chapters. I also been experimenting on my writing as well as changing the perspectives of the characters. So… before you read this chapter, I strongly suggest reading from the beginning, that way you won't be confused. Trust me, I think it's a lot better.**

 **Beauty and the Fool Chapter 11**

* * *

I found myself running across the forest at the dead of night. I headed straight forward, straining for any sign of my friends. The leaves and vines in the forest were coated with drops of moisture, and ground sucked at my feet as I moved ahead. My heart slammed against my ribs, but I held my breath and kept going.

The darkness was so complete, the shadows seemed to take form around me as I plunged deeper into the heart of the forest. My mind made enemies from the mist. As I stalked through the forest, stealthy as a predator, I had to sort what was real from what was imagined. Trees, vines, rocks—all menacing in the foggy night. The pungent scent of moist soil filled my nose. Heavily laden leaves, swollen with water, brushed against my face. A hanging mist coated the air. Not true rain, but enough to make my skin wet.

I caught sight of a shadow ahead of me. I halted, lifting my weapon from its scabbard. My eyes narrowed, and I squinted to make out the details of the shadow.

It froze. Possibly felt the weight of my stare. Would it turn to fight or try to flee? In one smooth movement, it fled, trying to blend in with the fog. I ran after it, hoping to shorten the distance between us.

There was a cry of pain, and I continued running. When I finally caught up, it was longer a shadow. It was Jaune.

I tried to reach him, but it was too late.

 _Shink_

I heard the sound whistled right before a knife embedded with a wet clank in Jaune's chest. He cried out, sucked in a shocked gasp of air. Jaune fell to his knees, his eyes wide as he stared up at me. I could see my name form on his lips.

 _Pyrrha_.

But the word was nothing more than a gurgle as his mouth filled with blood and he collapsed to the ground.

His attacker ran into the forest.

The blackness of night was like a living thing, breathing in hope and expelling terror. As I stood next to his body, the darkness took the shape of death, reaching, grasping for him. I was helpless to stop him from leaving me.

The night was painted red now, red with my fury, red with his blood. I dropped to my knees beside Jaune. My fingers clenched his blood-soaked sweater. A prayer to God to somehow save my partner formed but didn't leave my lips before his chest fell and did not rise again. Tears ran down my cheeks now, hot and urgent on my skin. Already he looked different, now that he was really gone. Was this how I'd look if I died? His pale skin was beginning to turn ashen. Once-full lips were bloodless. I gently closed his eyelids, hiding his dark-blue eyes. Stroking the messy, blonde hair back, I pressed a kiss to his still-warm forehead.

Jaune couldn't be gone. He was my partner, he met everything to me.

"Jaune, please," I sobbed, bending over and pressing my forehead to his, my fingers clutching his bloody jacket. "Don't leave me..."

* * *

I sat up straight on my bed in the dark of night, gasping for air. I couldn't remember where I was or why. When I turned and saw Jaune, sleeping across from me, reality came crashing down on me.

Rather than trying to go back to sleep, I stood up and crept towards the window of our room, willing my heart to calm down, for the vestiges of the nightmare to go away.

Then Jaune cried out.

My first instinct was to protect him. I dashed forward, rushing to his side. The bedclothes were twisted around his body and legs, and his forehead had a sheen of sweat across it, his blonde hair in complete disarray. He grimaced and his head jerked to the side, but he was still asleep. He mumbled something, so quietly I couldn't make out what—possibly a name. His voice sounded…pained.

Jaune was having a nightmare. A bad one, from the way he looked and how he continued to jerk and thrashed in his bed. Should I wake him up? I had the sudden urge to reach out and brush his hair from her forehead, to let my hand trail down his cheek. To calm his thrashing with my touch.

He thrashed on the bed again, his head turning towards me. My breath caught in my lungs, my heart raced beneath my ribs as I stared down at him. His blonde hair fell across his forehead, and his lips parted. In sleep, he didn't look goofy or confident. He almost looked…lost. For one brief moment of insanity, I wondered what it would be like to comfort him from the demons that apparently chased him at night. To be held against his body in the circle of his strong arms. To have his lips touch mine.

 _What is wrong with you_? I shook my head violently, horrified at the turn in my thoughts. Fantasizing about my partner was inexcusable.

When I crawled halfway to bed with my cheeks burning, the wood-frame creaked loudly beneath me and froze, cursing under my breath.

The labored breathing of Jaune's nightmare-ridden sleep halted abruptly. I stayed completely motionless, hoping he'd roll over and go back to sleep. Instead, the bed quietly groaned in protest as he sat up.

"Pyrrha, is that you?"

"It's me. Sorry, did I wake you up?" My voice was strained for the effort of hiding my embarrassment. "You should go back to sleep."

He glanced back at me, his expression inscrutable in the darkness. Even though my sight had adjusted, I could barely see his eyes.

"Then why are you up?" The knight's tone hinged somewhere between curiosity and accusation.

In one fluid movement, I sat up straight. Would it embarrass or anger him to mention the obvious nightmare he'd had been having? Then I thought of the time when Jaune and Blake were supposed to meet us at the vantage point before sun went down. Why couldn't they answer their scrolls? Did they know that we were worried sick?

When silence fell, stretching out the space between us, I spoke up.

"What happened at the forest?"


End file.
